If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

I don't think its a matter of money, plenty of folks that still have money. Montana is one of the worst states for non residents to apply. Even Eastman's gave them a grade of D when they were evaluating each states draw procesess. I know I don't want to buy a general Elk tag just to get a shot at a limited entry. Many better options out there IMO.

When the non-resident combo fee was around $643 it was one of the best bargains around. Now they ask about $300 more. In my opinion, still not a bad deal. If you add up the license costs for all the the tags in other states that would be equal to the Montana big game combo you would probably find that it would cost you more in most of the other states. Now if you're only going to hunt elk, then there are definitely some better bargains out there. I continue to go back to Montana because I love the scenery, I always see game and have opportunity, and the hunting pressure is never as bad as it is in the other OTC states. However I think the FWP could make a few changes to the way they distribute the Limited tags. To lose 20% of your license fee is an expensive way to earn a point.

The whole package may be about same price as other states but you have to do just that, buy the whole package. Other states split it up so you can get what you want. Why do I want to pay fishing and birds when I just want to hunt deer? And the deer or elk only tags are not alot less then the whole thing. I would love to hunt mule deer in E MT but for about the same price I can get tags in 2 other states. I have not applied in MT since they raised the price. Im not alone just look at the stats. It was always a 2 to 1 draw before and since the price increase they have had tags left over. IMO MT needs to not only overhaul their draw but also do away with general and combo tags and split the state into regions with their own quotas.

Initiative 161 was approved by Montana voters to eliminate the guaranteed outfitter sponsored tags, increase the number of general nonresident tags, and increase the price for nonresident licenses. This was supposed to increase revenue for improving public access and wildlife habitat. Also, many Montana residents have an anti-nonresident attitude and saw this bill as a way to reduce the number of nonresident hunters. From the sounds of it, that is exactly what is happening. While I do not agree with this initiative for various reasons, it was voter approved and thus will be difficult to change.

I too have quit hunting Montana due to the increase in tag fees. Kind of bums me out, I liked hunting Montana. I thought the people in Montana were quite nice, everywhere we went they were happy to help out, and would always join us for cocktail at the fire at night. Maybe that was the secret, everyone loves a cocktail!

All I can say is I have had good experiences hunting Montana so far. I think folks will pay for things they find the value in. This will vary from individual to individual. Each person will spend their money depending on what they feel their money should go to or what they decide it should not go to.

I'd like to believe or hope that most folks overall in Montana voted yes on Initiative 161 to improve Montana's wildlife as well as the folks that voted no on it. If Initiative 161 will be successful in the future or not, that remains to be seen.

I'm sure there are also folks that don't care much for nonresidents or want them hunting in their state. That perhaps holds true in just about any state you go to but that has not been my overall experience in Montana. I've had very good experiences so far from folks I've met in Montana and from the folks from Montana so far on this forum.

One of the reasons theres so many extra licenses this year is the non residents who didnt drw a LE tag turned thier combos back in. They had the Non Res draw and the antlered draw basically at the same time. So instead of having a 2nd draw in late summer the turned in licenses just went into the pot.